Pentagon's new weapons-buying chief says V-22 program will continue

WASHINGTON {AP} The Pentagon's new chief weapons buyer has decided not to cancel the troubled V-22 Osprey aircraft program but has taken acquisition authority for the program away from the Navy.

The Osprey, a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but flies like an airplane, is designed mainly for use by the Marine Corps, which is part of the Navy Department. After a fatal crash last December  the second for the Osprey in less than a year  the Navy grounded the fleet and put off a decision on whether to begin full-scale production.

The decision to go ahead with the Osprey program was made last week by Pete Aldridge Jr., who was sworn in as undersecretary of defense for acquisition on May 11. The decision, which was not publicly announced, was first reported in Monday's edition of Inside the Navy, a trade publication.

Aldridge told the Navy to go ahead with buying additional Ospreys, but at the lowest possible rate that ensures the manufacturer can continue to work on improvements to the aircraft. He did not specify what that production rate will be.

On the Net:  Marines' Osprey Web site

The decision fits with the recommendation of a Pentagon-appointed panel of experts, which said May 2 that because of serious concerns about the Osprey's safety and design the aircraft should continue in production at a "minimum sustaining level" until changes can be made.

The Osprey is manufactured by Boeing Co. and Textron's Bell Helicopters unit.

Aldridge also took acquisition authority for the program away from the Navy "because this program is at a critical stage," Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Lapan said. That means all future production decisions will be made by Aldridge's office rather than the Navy's senior acquisition executive.

It is not clear when the Ospreys will be cleared to resume flying, Lapan said.

He said the Pentagon is forming a new V-22 executive committee to focus in detail on key issues such as testing, technical risk and cost. The committee will have senior representatives from the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Special Operations Command as well as the major V-22 contractors.

Also, Aldridge's office will begin a series of detailed reviews starting in August, Lapan said.